Thia Halmades

Re: Hero Designer: A double edged sword

ghost-angel is correct; this is really about as rock solid as a software can get. Mind you, I have plenty of gripes with it, but considering what I paid (peanuts) to the utility I get (gold) and knowing that the only thing stopping me from creating mad templates is time & energy, I'm not certain what else you can ask it to do.

It can build prefabs, package deals, characters, vehicles, any equipment, you can turn the rules on & off, and everything is organized in a straight line across the top. Shoot, if you don't like something you can reorganize the whole bloody mess anyway.

Re: END cost of AoE succor

Thank you.

 

As for question 1, on page 133 under "using aid", it says that if the target is willing to receive the aid, the attack roll succeeds automatically. I'm basically wondering if this extends to using selective in the AoE...

Well, you pay for Selective, it's an Advantage. Since you can Selectively target your allies, and your allies require no attack roll, this is the canonical way to create an AOE field that only boosts your allies stats. So you pop the field, every ally in it who wants it gets it automatically (much as they would in any other AOE -- that's the whole AOE... thing.)

The bit here is less about it being Selective, and more about having it designed in a way (since as a Succor it must be maintained) that makes certain no bad guys get the bonus. So your final cost is the Base Cost for Succor at X dice, plus the +1 AOE Radius, plus the ... 1/2? for Selective (IDHMBIFOM, but I think that's right). So a 6d6 Succor at 5/die is 30 * 2.5 = 75 Active, with an END cost of 7/phase active.

Re: Hero Designer: A double edged sword

Well, you can also create custom templates, yesh?

So you can go, do the thing with the guy, build a new template [custom rules set] and then import that as necessary, and revert back to the standard rules as necessary. Mayapuppies has an EXTENSIVE template/rules piece for Kamarathin, so I know it can be done. He's something of an expert at this point I would think.

Re: Urban Fantasy Hero now in the online store

It is a continuing source of great pride to me that people continue to think there must be more Hero employees than there actually are. dw

I only believe in three:

Steve. Whom I believe counts as ten people, but, Steve.

Darren.

Tina.

And a cloning machine.

Re: Urban Fantasy Hero now in the online store

Lies.

Lies!

It's all LIES!

Said another way: I believe that YOU believe it's in the store, but my COMPUTER disbelieves you. I can't find it to order it, considering this is my genre, I'd like to order it, you know.

NOW.

Don't make me get out the HICCoS...

Re: Some thoughts on senses

 

I'll to an example involving bullets to engage your enthusiams, Thia.

Oh! OOOO! GUNS!

YES!

Re: Some thoughts on senses

I know you've been waiting for this.

...

Wait for it.

Ready?

NOW I agree with you.

Re: Official Release

that sanguinary short story was a pretty good read! i still want to do an illustration for it.

I really am thrilled that you enjoyed it. I was very happy with the way it developed, although I was a bit shocked at the mid-story 'reveal,' even though it seems cliche, you don't see it from that particular angle very often.

Re: Official Release

Hey, that's what I'm here for.

Re: A new system of disadvantages

Hmm.

I like it on the surface, but how do you handle one of the things I really like about the current version, which is that it allows both a variation on severity (Xd6, etc.) and frequency (Common, Uncommon, etc.)

This to me is why the system as written works as well as it does; everything beyond that to me seems like nomenclature. While I'll agree outright that a re-explanation may be in order, I'd also submit that what I like most is what I don't see here, and that's a similar level of overall flexibility.

Re: Missile Deflect A Big Thrown Object

Well.

It's not an AOE, unless the opponent had purchased AOE on his STR with an OIF, or a similar power. Otherwise, this is a variation on Spreading an Attack.

In either case, common & dramatic sense rule over all else; while I'll agree that someone should not be able to missile deflect an AOE (such as the canonical Fireball) I would submit that the SFX in this case is a massive cargo container -- which reasonably COULD be deflected.

I wouldn't have made the same call that GM made, that everyone survived not withstanding.

Re: Official Release

Looking over your website, but cant seem to find any information about what type of campaign setting this is, apart from Fantasy but is it high or low? Lots of races?

 

From reading the forum, it (the magic system) seems Vancian in nature but based on the zodiac. Could be wrong of course as I hadnt bought n read the book:D

It's a mid-fantasy/dark setting, ground very much in its own mythology. There are a plethora of races, but the focus is more on the characters and the people, rather than collecting magic items and bashing monsters.

Re: Official Release

Sure; there are two core magic systems that are presented in Chapter 4, and I believe that there are additional systems, but Chapter 4 was mine.

Atharian Magic: Based on the Zodiac, Atharian magic is an elemental base rooted in the signs of the zodiac, creating a tight, but flexible, magic system.

Sanguinary Magic: Blood magic used by the advanced Sanguinaries; it is much less dramatic than the more 'traditional' model used by the Atharians, but within their milieu, extremely effective.

I don't want to go into too much detail, but both systems were built from the group up for this setting. They also both contain leading short-story introductions to introduce you to how it's viewed & commonly used (Atharian) or how it operates in an actual fight (Sanguinary).

Does that help?

Re: Official Release

Maya is looking into PoD options now; there are many people who want a hardcopy.

... and had I refreshed, I would have seen he'd already posted. NEVERMIND.

Re: Official Release

Yay! Thank you for picking up a copy. Please post your opinions of it if you get the urge, I'd love to hear something other than my own slightly biased opinion.

 

I really wanted the first book to be kinda hefty. I'm sure I could have made it longer...we had to cut 2 races and 1 magic system as it was. hehe

To be fair, the magic systems that got developed are... extensive. Lots of flex and options, but hey. That's more room for more books.

Re: Official Release

I am still sitting here trying to figure out what to do next. LOL

We expand our plan to take over teh w0rldz.

Doi.

And sorry I haven't had time to respond to your email, I've been working 12 hours/day and getting my fanny whupped because of it. But your core answer is "You've got the gist, barring minor details."

Re: Official Release

Chapter 4 = awesome-sauce.

j'es sayin'.

NOT SAYIN'.

Juuuuuuuuuust sayin'.

Re: Lightning powers...with a BOOM!

That, or it's just a special effect.

Crack (BOOM!)

Groovy. S'very noisy. Worth -1/4 as a 'visible power effect' since it goes well above & beyond flash of light, stink of ozone & Ow-that-frigging-hurt. If it's a flash? No SFX oriented GM would really encourage that. It's too haphazard and has just as much of a chance of burning the party as anything else.

Re: Dhalsim's Transcendent Awareness: Zen No Mind

Yeesh.

Not having played Street Fighter in any kind of structured incarnation other than the video games, I can really only speculate as to what this should be. But, having played a ridiculous amount of Rage, I have a rough clue where this is going. So you wait until everyone ELSE goes, but then you can react accordingly? Ack... I'd really need to know the rules this was built on to get a better feel for the intent. That would only be a band-aid on a gunshot wound though, because the systems are so disparate. So what I really wanna know is:

What, exactly, do you want this version of it to do? If you can specify that for me, I can help you build. I see the speculation, and I agree that it's not the best worded thing in the world, but I'm not really picking up on a specific intent, "TH, it needs to do this."

Reason from Effect. What do you want to achieve here? Tell me what it ought to do, and I can help you do that.

Re: A new approach to Killing Attacks

*chews, thinks*

Well.

It's lethal. If you want lethal, you got lethal. However -- and bear in mind Sean that I'm not advocating one way over another -- you're really going to grease the party of a Heroic game inside of 2 phases, or one round of well placed autofire. If you want simulate that level of mortality and casualities, this will do it.

My big issue here is the 'spirit' of HERO as I perceive it; step one is landing the strike, followed promptly by the application of defenses. You've given Killing Attacks almost a new limitation; "All or Nothing, -1/2." So you could, reasonably, apply that (or a variant thereof) as a new fangled form of Piercing, but the version as you've written it strikes me as being hyper-lethal.

I'm all for verisimilitude, but this looks like it runs the risk of a massively high player casualty rate.

Re: Bloodlust (+3 OCV HandtoHand, -3 DCV)

The way I wrote it up is cheaper and gives the added benefit of +1DC.

 

Thats not a bad build though, for those who don't want to use the damage adder.

Your original post said, IIRC (and I may not), "Add three OCV, lose 3 DCV." Which is what I wrote. I'll agree that Concentration achieves a specific effect, but you specified +3/-3, which I wrote.

Re: Bloodlust (+3 OCV HandtoHand, -3 DCV)

Lemme 'splain.

No, takes too long. Lemme sum up:

Bloodlust; +3 OCV (15 Active Points), Side Effect, Side Effect Occurs Whenever Power is Used, Set Effect, etc. & so forth, -3 DCV. (-1/2... I think) 11 Real.

Done.

Re: How Would You Build: Sequenced Effects

Hrm. Interesting (he said, pondering). Lemme see here.

Well, one, I'd call this a Compound Power. I know that might sound obvious, but I like to start simple. Compound Power allows the inclusion of all the requisite effects to make this happen, so that's critical. Within said Compound Power, all other powers are Linked; specifically, they're linked to the power before them.

Then, each power picks up Extra Time and Trigger; the Extra Time defines when it executes in relation to the prior piece, and the Trigger (which would be required, much like the Needler from H:CE) would be required for the next piece to go off without user involvement, replacing Uncontrolled. Since it's Linked, and Triggered, if one part misses, the requirements for the Trigger cannot be met. However, as this is a Compound Power, all END must be spent at the time of casting.

Re: New Combatant. Which phase does he start?

Oh boy...is this Ragnarok?

 

BTW I've recently referred HyperMan to you for counselling on a similar problem

I'll advise him that we need to batten down 'some hatches' and prepare for 'teh endz0rz,' as there can be no alternatives at this point.

Re: New Combatant. Which phase does he start?

I think that g-a really hit this; it's a two step process.

1) What phases does the new combatant act on, and when did he enter the fight? (in this instance, six). So if he's showing up on 6, we'll assume (barring a move-through) he took a half-phase to open the door. If he has a weapon ready, I would allow a roll (INT) to 'size up' the situation quickly. Or if he has the Talent Combat Ready or similar.

2) Then, when is it dramatically appropriate? In most cases, I would force a delay to his next available phase (most likely 8 or 9) before acting in the combat itself.

And.

Sadly.

I actually agree with Sean.